“That was beautiful. My brother is a lucky man,” Alena said from the door.
“Do you really think so?”
“Of course,” Alena said. “You are exquisite. Gone is the scared little girl. In her place is a confident woman. Anton won’t be able to get you alone fast enough. It’s a good thing we set up a small cottage near the high meadow for you two. Think of it as a honeymoon cottage.”
“Oh, I never thought about where we would go. It’ll be nice to be alone with Anton.”
“I’m looking forward to having Kolya home and back in my arms. But at least I’ve gotten to visit with him. You and Anton have been forced to stay apart. I’m sorry we put both of you through that.”
“Alena, you’ve done so much for me. I can’t thank you enough.”
“You are my twin’s mate. It is natural for me to want the best for you. That is what family is about. That is what being part of the pack is about.”
§
Anton would have enjoyed the helicopter ride if he weren’t so worried about Laurel and getting back in time for the ceremony. Twice, Kolya had looked a little green during the flight. Anton would have teased his brother-in-law about his reaction, but now wasn’t the time for teasing.
When Ivan let Anton and Kolya off at the airport, Anton heaved a sigh of relief. The quicker they got this done, the quicker he could get back to Laurel. Kolya jumped out of the helicopter and ran over to the car.
Ivan would take one vehicle into town, and Kolya and Anton would take another. Kolya slipped into the driver’s seat of a new Lada-Niva, which sat waiting on the tarmac for them. Anton smiled at his brother-in-law’s need to always be behind the wheel. After retrieving the backpack from Ivan, Anton walked over to the passenger side and got in.
“Dmitry approved the purchase of the new vehicle, I see,” Anton said, while putting the backpack on the back seat and enjoying the new-car smell.
“Was there ever any doubt?” Kolya asked. “Once Alena told Violet about the situation, everyone knew Dmitry would give in.”
“How did he manage to get it here this quickly?”
“He was owed a couple of favors. The rest of the packages ordered for Laurel should be in the trunk. Violet and Alena picked out a coat for her for the coming winter.”
“Will we make it back in time for the ceremony? You know Laurel will be crushed if I’m not there for the traditional dance,” Anton asked, needing reassurance.
“We’ll get you back in time, lover boy,” Kolya said. “Don’t worry. Alena will have my head if you aren’t there. I haven’t lain with my mate for a week. I don’t want her mad at me.”
“I appreciate your sacrifice,
“Yeah, yeah. You’ve got it bad, I know. Let’s get this done, so we can get home to our mates.”
Anton smiled at the warmth that settled in his heart. Get home to our mates was a phrase he hadn’t been sure he would ever hear. It sounded good.
The drive into the village was only a few miles. The road approached from the south of town and went past a housing complex before entering the main square. Kolya made sure to drive by the local drinking establishments before heading down to the river and the warehouses. He was hoping the Russian mafia would pick up the signal from the tracking device and follow them down to the docks. Shipments of freight often arrived by boat and were unloaded into the different structures.
Kolya pulled up behind one of the empty metal buildings and parked.
“Do you want to leave the car here? Dmitry will get upset if you scratch it before we get it home,” Anton said as he grabbed the backpack and climbed from the car.
“I’ll move it after we hide the backpack. We aren’t supposed to hang around. The police will keep the building under surveillance. Who knows how long it will take to flush out these vermin?”
Anton followed Kolya into the building. The dirty windows left the inside dim and shadowy. Sparkling dust motes floated through the air. The metal sides of the building were turning red from rust. Someone had spray-painted graffiti on one of the walls in black. A thick layer of dust coated all the surfaces. Anton looked behind them on the floor and saw their trail of footprints as they moved farther into the space. On the one side sat a stack of wooden crates leaning against the wall. The rest of the building was empty. Before they entered the building, the dust layer on the floor hadn’t been disturbed at all. Not even a rodent had walked across it.
“I guess we hide it in the crates,” Anton said. “They didn’t leave us much of a choice with the building so empty. We can’t exactly leave it in the middle of the room with a sign hanging over it, ‘take me.’”
“Our footprints will lead them right to it anyway. Come on, I want to get on the road,” Kolya said.
Shrugging his shoulders, Anton walked over to the crates and pushed the backpack in between the boxes and the wall. Was that all? They weren’t even going to wait to see the bust? How was he going to know if Laurel’s stepfather was arrested or not? Sighing, he followed Kolya to the door. Was it really going to be this easy?
Anton and Kolya stepped outside and closed the metal door. They turned to head for the car.
“Not so fast,” Gleb said, standing in front of the car with a gun leveled at them. “Where is the pretty girl and her backpack?”
Anton frowned as four other men stepped from around the side of the building and boxed them in. Just what they needed, an ambush. Were the police aware that the local mafia had arrived? Wasn’t the idea to ambush the criminals?
All of the mafia members sported tattoos on their arms. One possessed a tattoo on his face. They wore ragged clothing that was worn through showing flesh underneath. From the smell of the alcohol on their breath, Anton assumed they didn’t worry about how they were dressed. Two of them openly displayed guns in their belts. The other two probably had hidden weapons on their person. Gleb was sporting a large golden chain and amulet over his stained shirt.
Anton knew the plan had seemed too easy. Now they were going to have to fight their way out. Dammit, if this made him late to Laurel’s party, he would never hear the end of it. At least, if something happened to him, Laurel would survive. But Anton wanted a future with her. He wanted to see her grow big with his child. As much as he wanted to take these men out, he and Kolya would have to be careful. A bullet to the brain would kill them as easily as it killed a human.
“We don’t know what you are talking about. We were told to drop off the backpack, and someone else would pick it up,” Kolya said. “You that someone?”
“Who told you to drop it off?” Gleb asked
“The girl’s stepfather,” Kolya answered.
What game are you playing? Anton sent telepathically to Kolya. Would they be able to take the men down without one of them getting shot?
Just trying to get us out of here alive, Kolya replied telepathically.
Alive? How about on time? In other words, you’re bluffing. Hurry up already, we need to go, Anton sent.
Do you see Laurel’s stepfather? Kolya sent into Anton’s thoughts.
No, why? Where was Laurel’s stepfather? Why wasn’t he here with Gleb?
Maybe they will have to go check out our story.
Gleb frowned and motioned to two of the men behind Anton and Kolya to go into the warehouse. Anton and Kolya edged up closer to the car. If they could take out the men with the guns, they would have a chance.
“That’s far enough. Why did you do what old Charlie told you?” Gleb asked.
“He promised to pay us when we got back,” Kolya said.
“When you got back to where?” Gleb asked.
“The old hunting cabin on the other side of the mountain,” Anton said.
Gleb started laughing. “You really expect him to still be there when you get back?”
“He was having problems with the girl. We were supposed to help him move her when we got back,” Kolya said.
“Dammit, he has the girl?” Gleb asked. “I didn’t think his p
lan would work.”
“Yeah. He picked her up last night,” Kolya said. “Along with the backpack.”
“I’m going to kill him if he’s double-crossed me,” Gleb said. “I was supposed to get the girl.”
Anton felt his fury rising. That was his mate Gleb was talking about. His hands fisted, and he felt his claws starting to break through.
Easy, Anton. Laurel is safe at home. We’re stalling for time. Once the backpack is in Gleb’s possession, the police will move in. Be ready to get out of their way.
You should have let me kill them while they were on pack property. Then, we wouldn’t be dealing with them now, Anton sent.
Get control of your wolf. Don’t blow it.
Anton reached for his center, the place of peace that lay within him, to help steady his breathing. Laurel was safe. She was his peace.
The two men walked out of the building carrying the backpack and brought it to Gleb. He pulled a knife out and cut a slit along the bottom of the backpack. Plastic bags full of white powder fell to the ground. The two men leaned down to pick them up, while Gleb put the knife away.
“Guess you weren’t lying about the backpack. But why don’t you tell me why I should let you live?” Gleb asked, while the other men chuckled and laughed.
“We were doing a job. We haven’t even collected our pay yet,” Kolya said.
“Halt, you are under arrest!” a voice called out from the building across the road.
“Govno, Shit, it’s a trap,” Gleb said, turning to run.
Anton ran forward. Throwing a punch at one man, he knocked him down. Then he kicked the gun out of the hand of the other man, who was standing next to Gleb. Gleb turned to run, and a shot rang out from one of the police officers converging on the group. Kolya was fighting with two other men near the rear of the car. One of them was down, and the other one was on his knees.
“That’s enough, down on the ground, all of you,” said one of the policemen.
Anton put his hands up and fell to his knees on the ground, while officers swarmed over the men. He didn’t want an overzealous policeman to shoot him. He wouldn’t be able to shift to heal the wound and couldn’t risk being sent to a hospital. He was glad to see Kolya doing the same. Lycans could still die if the wound was severe enough.
Soon, police officers covered all the men. Gleb lay on the ground in a puddle of blood. Anton was surprised to feel nothing when he looked at the man.
“Not him, sergeant, he’s our informant,” Ivan said as one of the men hauled Anton to his feet.
“It’s about time,” Anton said. Where were they a few minutes ago?
“Let him go and that blond fellow over there,” Ivan said, pointing to Kolya. “We had you covered. Nothing was going to happen. Tell your brother I appreciate his help, Anton. How he learns of these things I don’t want to know.”
“It’s always a pleasure working with you, Ivan. But next time could you move in a little faster?” Anton asked. “I’ll give Dmitry the message. Do you have enough evidence to hold these men?”
“We caught them with the drugs in their possession,” Ivan said, shaking Anton’s hand. “It should be enough. Go on home. Kolya said you’re having a party tonight. I’ll take care of the paperwork. Sorry, I can’t be there. I have to get back to Moscow.”
“Have a safe flight,” Anton said. With Laurel doing the traditional women’s dance, he was glad Ivan couldn’t come to the party.
“Unlike your brother, I have to fly coach. Seven hours. I hate flying,” Ivan grumbled.
Laughing, Anton turned to find Kolya at the car inspecting it for damage. He leaned over as Kolya rubbed at an imaginary dent.
“I told you we should park it somewhere else,” Anton couldn’t resist saying.
“Shut up and get in. The car is fine.”
§
Laurel put the white shift on, then picked up the veil to cover her face. Tonight was the final ceremony, and Anton wasn’t here. Would she dance the traditional feminine celebratory dance without having him near to watch and encourage her? Did she even want to? Could she dance seductively if Anton didn’t make it back in time?
He had left her to go on some kind of mission. Everyone was keeping it hush-hush, refusing to tell her what was going on. She wanted to scream in frustration. This whole week was about learning to seduce Anton, and now he might not even see her.
She reached for his mind, unable to stop needing his touch. But she could barely connect. She could feel him, but couldn’t catch his thoughts. Wherever he had gone, he was focused on something else.
“Are you ready to go?” Alena asked, standing at the door.
“It’s barely six o’clock. Shouldn’t we wait for news of Anton?”
“I’m sure he will be standing outside the cave when you march out to do the dance. Nothing can keep him away. Besides, Dmitry is going to introduce you to the pack as Anton’s mate, and he can’t do that if Anton isn’t there. Now, come on. We need to get the ceremony started before you can dance.”
Laurel nodded, not trusting herself to reply without bursting into tears, and followed Alena out the door. Where are you? she sent to Anton.
§
Anton glanced at his watch for the umpteenth time. It was after five o’clock. They weren’t going to make it.
“We need to hurry. I can’t miss Laurel’s dance,” he said.
“I’m driving as fast as I can. It’ll be close, but you’ll get there. Dmitry is taking clean clothes up to the cottage you and Laurel will be using tonight, so we can change.”
So he could change? Anton had forgotten he needed to be dressed up for tonight. He prayed to the creator. “Please let me get there in time. Please don’t let me ruin Laurel’s ceremony.”
§
Laurel soaked in a large copper tub placed in the middle of the sacred circle. Candles burned around the perimeter and incense scented the air. It was all very soothing, and she felt slightly detached as she watched the women while they washed her body and hair. She was completely relaxed and languid as they helped her stand and then dried her. Next, they led her to a table piled with a soft mattress and pillows. Urging her to lie down on her stomach, they massaged her skin, using sacred oils.
She gave herself completely into their care. It felt so good to be pampered and prepared for the evening’s celebration. Once finished with her back, they turned her over and covered her front with the same oils.
At the beginning of the week, Laurel would have been embarrassed to be naked and massaged by the women of the pack. But tonight she felt as if she was among family, loved and cherished by these women.
When they finished massaging her legs and arms, they covered her with a warmed sheet and bid her rest. One of the women pulled out a stringed instrument and played softly. Laurel allowed herself to doze, knowing she was safe and protected.
“Laurel, it is time to get dressed, child,” Yelena called to her.
Bewildered for a moment, Laurel blinked sleepily and looked around. Stretching, she sat up, and the sheet fell from her naked breasts to puddle at her waist. Finally remembering where she was, Laurel grabbed the sheet to cover herself.
“We have your clothes laid out for you,” Alena assured her, moving forward to take the sheet from Laurel.
Laurel swung her legs off the table and walked over to a small bench. Lying on the top was a complete ensemble. Beautiful silk and lace undergarments lay next to a beautiful red-and-black silk dress. Black silk slippers embroidered with gold threads sat beside the garments.
Yelena helped her dress, while Alena handed her the items. The other women commented on each piece and how they thought Anton would like it. Giggling like schoolgirls, they told stories from their own ceremonies. When the talk moved to their first experiences of sex, Laurel listened carefully, wondering if the pain involved would cancel out the pleasure.
Yelena slipped the dress over Laurel’s head and pulled the laces tight across her chest.
It
fit perfectly. The silk molded her breasts, defining their shape and making her waist look smaller. The flower-petal skirt showed off her shapely legs. Finally, Laurel slid her feet into the embroidered slippers.
But, the women weren’t finished. Pushing Laurel into a chair, they combed out her hair, then put most of it up. They fastened it with jeweled hairpins and added flowers. They left one long lock free that fell over her right shoulder.
She was ready. Violet walked forward and handed Laurel a gold silk fan, embroidered with red roses.
“This is our gift to you. Welcome to the family, little sister,” she said.
Yelena clapped her hand, and the murmurs stopped. The women moved to the edge of the circle of candles. Before joining the rest of the women on the periphery, Violet took Laurel’s hand and led her to the center of the circle.
Laurel knew what to do. She walked to the east and stood facing that direction.
“I call on the element of air, the breath of spirit. Come and join my circle. Be welcome.”
Moving to the south, she turned to face that direction.
“I call on the element of fire, the spirit of purification. Come and join my circle. Be welcome.”
Moving to the west, she turned to face that direction.
“I call on the element of water, the spirit of inner vision. Come and join my circle. Be welcome.”
Moving to the north, she turned and faced that direction.
“I call on the element of earth, the spirit of wisdom. Come and join my circle. Be welcome.”
Finally moving to the center of the circle she made a last call.
“The circle is whole and consecrated. I call on the divine and ask for the blessing of the feminine.”
The women on the edge of the circle began to sing.
“Mother, oh Mother, hear your daughter’s plea.
Mother, oh Mother, your grace impart to she.
Mother, oh Mother, your blessing do bestow.
My Mate's Embrace Page 14
